I still need to check this out further, but I'm told more call-outs will mean more money. Given the quiet teams need a base level of money to maintain training, while busy teams actually get more experience, this is not as sensible a notion as it might at first sound. It's all to easy to envisage a range of possibilities arising from this situations.

The US Coast Guard should officially charge for their rescues, however, it is a practice which is not enforced since it encourages victims or witnesses NOT to call the Coast Guard in any case of doubt, an austerity measure and attitude which may delay rescues and add to casualties.

However, the USCG takes the freedom to send a bill if their Search was the result of a hoax, and practices vary from state to state.

Another point that worries me is what will happen to the RNLI and civillian MRTs in all this? At the moment they are funded by charitable donations and staffed largely by volunteers. This has resulted in highly motivated people taking part in rescues in difficult and unpredictable situation. You can be sure that if it is humanly possible these people will try to save life.